Beasts from the Outside World: The Art of Hataya

Somewhere in Saitama, Japan, an artist working the pseudonym Hataya (ハタ屋) has opened a window onto a unique and richly imagined world.

Working in a meticulous pen and ink style, Hataya reveals a wild menagerie of beasts and beings; many-eyed and many-legged cat-people, bird-faced dragons, preening moth-scholars, and floating creatures beyond description. Set against a detailed background full of antique architectural details, paper lanterns, tattered posters, and mysterious goods in jars, Hataya’s diverse creatures share a believable, lived-in setting. This is art with great narrative allure and each piece leaves the viewer wanting more.

We asked Hataya about her work and she answered simply: “There is no one story I am trying to tell, but there is one big world in my mind. I’m drawing that world, so the work ends up feeling coherent. I draw what I want to see.”